Customer Reviews

Diana: The Portrait

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Diana, the Portrait" is a beautiful compilation of pictures, stories, and events in Diana's life. Just like a portrait, it shows the princess at her best. This is not an expose and I'm glad it wasn't. The most poignant sections of the book are the parts dealing with Diana's tragic death. There are copies of Elton John's handwritten lyrics for "Good-bye England's Rose" as well as many of Diana's own letters. I received this as a gift, right after seeing the Diana exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Lauderdale. Many aspects of the exhibits are included in the "Portrait" and I think will be enjoyed by any fan of Diana's. It is a very flattering portrayal, as it should be.

This is one FANTASTIC and important book that portrays the undeniable heart, soul and courage of Diana, Princess of Wales, who cared so much about people, and sought to make so many positive changes in our world. Diana is still a living example of taking what you've got in life, and turning it around to make lasting and positive change for others. The book is extraordinary! It is a HUGE, beautiful coffee table size book that captures the true Diana. Rosalind Coward did one outstanding job. This book is an inspiration, and brings the truth about Diana to light. She is still a beacon in the dark, and her causes, thanks to this book, will continue to help others, just as Diana would have wanted them to. A MUST Buy and Read!

Finally a book that doesn't attempt to portray the Princess as some sort of demon. What is emphasized again and again is that this was a very young woman, with no royal experience who accepted a new role with grace and humor. Her ability to connect with people is demonstrated over and over. The book is beautifully done with simply beautiful photos!

What was Princess Diana REALLY like? Did she really have such an incredible impact on the charities she worked with? Deep down, was her personality as luminous and beautiful as many believed it was?

Since her death almost a decade ago, numerous authors have offered their opinions on Diana's personality, charity work, marriage, and entire life. Some have been worshipful (Andrew Morton's "autobiography"), some have been disturbing (Sally Bledel Smith's examination of Diana's personality), and some have totally illuminated an area of the late princess's life.

"Diana: The Portrait" falls into the latter category. The first thing Diana fans will notice is the abundance of stunning, high-quality photos from every phase of Diana's life. And these photos aren't just the same tired images. They are rare snapshots from the Spencer family collection and in many cases, ones that have never been seen by the public before. Even if you have other photography-oriented Diana books (I own two), this one is gorgeously superior.

This volume also includes text with extensive detailings of Diana's charity work and her phenomenal rapport with "ordinary" people. Many Diana-themed books talk about her devotion to particular issues (like AIDS and land mines) but never fully discuss what she did or talk about her actions' tangible impacts. I have read a variety of books about the princess since her death and I have NEVER read a book that showed her impact on so many people so well or included so many varied sources praising her work.

For better or for worse, "Diana: The Portrait" barely touches on some of the darker and more controversial issues of Diana's life. It mentions her divorce and the overwhelming changes she faced after her marrige, but "mentions" is the key word. Her eating disorders hardly factor into the book, and despite the fact that some have said Diana had psychological problems, this issue is never addressed. This probably occurred because her family was so involved in writing this book.

But anyone who reads Diana books will quickly realize that one book can never tell everything about this woman who was such an enigma. To some, this book may seem to have airbrushed Diana's life, but it is also a beautiful and special tribute to a unique woman who is universally known. Forget about this book's lack of captions, and savor its other one-of-a-kind attributes.

I love Princess Diana. I love Diana so much that I went to Althorp to pay my respects to her. This book, Diana: A Portrait brought back those memories. The book is filled with photos of Diana throughout her life, not just when she was a princess. Many of the photos come straight from items that are on display at the exhibit at Althorp, such as her school uniform and report cards. I feel that the book is a companion to that visit I made. If you get the opportunity to go to Althorp, by all means do go. If you can not get to Althorp, this book brings the Althorp exhibit and feeling to you. The photos are beautiful as is the text about Diana's life. The price tag is steep, but this book is a must for a Diana fan. As the exhibit says: The work continues.

This book is a great way to remember one of the most important women of the 20th century: Diana, Princess of Wales. It contains many new photos from her family and friends, and it is a must for any serious Diana fan.
It is not a biography, however. It focuses mainly on her charitable work and does not shade any light on her marital problems or the last years of her life (lovers, psicological problems).

This book quite admirably depicts Diana at all stages of her life, and in the manner that she would have been honoured to be seen.
The book itself is quite heavy, with thick pages and full color breathtaking photographs that capture the essence of Diana, who we dearly miss.
A portion of the proceeds supports her memorial charitable fund, so her work can continue. If you loved Diana, you will love this book as well.

Given this book as a gift made me pay more attention to it than if I were browsing to buy it in a bookstore. Not being one for media blitz I have not paid attention to many books of this sort (and there certainly are many of them). However, seeing that this is a compendium of a significant human being's life in pictures and interviews, accolades, and heartfelt memories makes one feel the mighty impact this beautiful woman had on the lives of those she touched. The photography ranges from snapshots to formal portraiture and focuses more on the person behind all the blitz than on the royal facade.

Rosalind Coward is to be commended for compiling all of these photographs that literally cover the entire life of the Princess of Wales. But even more so, she is to be lauded for presenting a book that is not mawkish but encourages the Princess' many fans to carry on the work dear to her heart. A fine memorial to one of the luminaries of the 20th Century. Grady Harp, February 2005

I bought this book inspite of the price. And guess what? It was all worth it! I laughed and cried while reading the book. And those pictures especially those about her childhood are so nice to see. BEcause in there, you could see the real Diana, even before she became a princess. It's also a really nice way to remember the Princess, it is unlike the other books that also bash her. In this this book, you would find no bashing. Just pure and simple Diana, and everything wonderful about. It is a perfect gift for anyone who loves Diana!

This is one of the best books written about the late Princess that I've ever seen.
Early on in the book there's a list of people who contributed to it, (quotations mostly), celebrities & common people too. Not too many surprises- I didn't expect to see the Fayed family represented, (they are mentioned in 2 or 3 quotes)but I was surprised to see Andrew Morton, Ken Wharfe, and Patrick Jephson because they'd all been not the most flattering in her name. Morton is the most extensively quoted, makes himself sound better than what I remember history showing. Paul Burrell gets not a whisper (unless someone mentoned him in their own bits)but then that's probably because he & the Spencer family don't get along these days.
There are also copies of several different drafts of Charles Spencer's famous eulogy and I think even a couple of variations of Elton John's "Candle in the Wind".
The main part of the book covers the various stages of Diana's life from birth onwards to the aftermath since her death, lots of material here with a lot of detail, some of it I think might even be new material. You'll find almost no Royal/ Charles bashing and only a hint of Diana's troubles beyond the mention that her marriage wasn't always happy and the eating disorders (most of what you do get of that relates it to her work in life).
I found it fascinating to read about the charity things she did and the work that they've done since then, the funeral items were also of interest & mostly different from what I've read before. The pictures were mostly things we've all seen before, you won't want to buy this book for them alone, but as Tim Graham is quoted, "She was very easy to photograph. You had to be a pretty useless photographer if you didn't get a good picture of her." The last little section of the book is about six of the people who've been helped by the memorial fund since the Princess died, it quotes them on how the fund has changed their lives.
Really, the only complaints I have about this book are it's large size, it's a real handful, and the white dust jacket which will certainly get dirty if you handle it much (you'll want to find one of those plastic library book covers to protect it). Very worthwhile book, well worth owning.